Making Water a Part of Economic Development: The Economic Benefi ts of Improved Water Management and Services

Abstract

"This report focuses on the economic benefits of action that address both the access to water and sanitation services and inadequate water resources management, including infrastructure. It covers shorter and longer-term costs of inaction and benefits of action and cost-benefit evaluations. Cost-benefit analyses typically include short-term issues. In most analyses that are available, the long-term economic benefits are not considered. This suggests that many of the cost-benefit figures presented in this report are underestimated."